mccarty



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. I. 0. M. MQOARTY.

LIGHTNING PROTECTOR FOR ELEGTRIGAL CIRCUITS.

No. 821,235. Patented June 30, 1885..

N. PETERS, Fhnta-kilhographer, wnsmn w'n. o. c

(No Model.) 2'Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. P. 0. M. MQUARTY.

LIGHTNING PROTECTOR FOR ELEGTRIOAL CIRCUITS.

No. 321,235. Patented June 30, 1885.

FJQJQ D D 1 9 Bi a I a a .P' (2 p I J1 ii I Maw/[g4 I W WM mxim N, PETERS, Finale-Lithographer. washin mn. D. 64

. IINITED STATES PATENT Orrren.

\VILLIAM F. O. MQMCOARIY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ADOLPH OHL, JAMES MOO. OREIGI-ITON, AND BERNARD O. LAUTH, ALL OF SAME PLAOE.

LIGHTNING-PROTECTOR FOR ELECTRICAL ClRCUlTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 321,235, dated June 30, 1885.

Application filed March 16, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F. O. M. MOOARTY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Lightning- Protectors for Electrical Circuits, of which the following is a specification.

My invention consists of an improved lightning-protector for electrical circuits, to pro tect telegraphic, telephonic, and other electrical instruments from being burned out by lightning, as fully described and claimed hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front View of my improved instrument. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1; and Figs. 3 and 4 are corresponding views ofa modified form of my improved instrument.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, A is the base of the instrument, and on this are mounted two standards, a (0, provided at their upper ends with bearings for a transverse shaft, to which are secured two disks or wheels, D D, set at a little distance apart from each other, as convenience may require. Around the peripheries of these two disks are secured transverse connecting-wires d of platinum, and in the drawings I have shown them as being made of a continuous piece of wire, (1, attached to 0 the pins d on the peripheries of the two disks; but any other convenient method of securing the connectingwires may be adopted. The two disks thus constitute a traversing carrier for the contact-wires d.

To the base of the instrument is secured an insulated post, E, Fig. 2, which projects up between the two disks, and is bent into a hook-shape at its upper end, the outer finger of the hook being provided with an adjustable 0 back stop, 6. To the insulated base, adjacent to this post, is secured aspring finger or arm, F, which tends to make contact with the back stop, 6. The shaft carrying the disks D D, however, is so acted on by a spring, weight,

5 or other motor as to turn it in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, so that the first transverse wire, d, coming into contact with the springfinger F, serves to keep the said finger from contact with theback stop, 6, as shown in Fig.

2, and this is the normal position of the parts.

(No model.)

In Figs. 1 and 2 the motor consists of a spring, G, having asmall cord, g, coiled around a shaft, B, while the spring is carried by an adj Listing-screw, g, mounted at the upper end ofa post, II, Fig. 2.

On the top of one of the standards a is mounted and electrically connected therew ith a bindingpost, p, and the spring-finger F is electrically connected to a binding-post, 1), while the post E is electrically connected to a bind 6o ing-post, p, to which the ground-wire is attaehed.

Under normal conditions, one of the transverse wires d of the pair of disks bears, as described, against the spring-finger F, and keeps it out of contact with the back stop, 0, and the current therefore passes from the post p through the spring-finger F, wire (I, disks D D, and post p to the telegraphic or other instrument to be protected. Should a stroke of lightning occur the wire (Z, which then bears against the finger F, will be burned out, and the finger F will fly into contact with the back stop, 6, and through the post E the current will be immediately grounded, while the rota- 7 5 tion of the disks will bring the next transverse wire (1 into contact with the finger F, and thus automatically reestablish the normal condition illustrated in Fig. 2.

In the modification, Figs. 3 and 4, one of So the disks, D, is provided on its outer face with a series of insulating-plugs, m, arranged at a distance apart proportionate to the relative distances apart of the transverse wires d.

On the base is mounted a spring-contact, E, whose outer end bears against the disk D in the path of the series of annular plugs m, and to the base is also secured a fixed finger,

F, with which the transverse wires d come into contact.

On one of the standards a is mounted a binding-post, p, which is connected to the line, while the finger F is connected, through the binding-postp, with the instrument to be protected.

When one of the wires (1 of the pair of disks is bearing against the finger F, the contactpoint of the spring E will be resting on one of the insulation-plugs m, and the circuit will be from the post p through the frame, disks, rco

cross wires d, and finger F to the bindingpost p.

011 the burning out of the cross-wire (2 this circuit will be broken, and the disks, being released, will be caused to revolve by the spring 9, so that the contact end of the spring IE will come into electrical contact with the metallic portion of the disk D, and the current will be immediately grounded, while the continued rotationrof the disk will bring the next cr0sswire into contact with the finger F, and so automatically re-establish the normal condition.

1 am aware of the device shown in the French patent ofBertsch,No. 64,114, dated August 17, 1864, and do not claim anything therein shown.

I claim as my invention 1. A lightning-protector for electrical circuits, consisting of a traversing carrier having a series of contact-wires, a finger in the circuit to make contact with said wires, and an eartlrconnection to ground the circuit on the burning out of one of said contact-wires, substantially as set forth.

2. A lightning-protector for electrical circuits, consisting of a pair of disks or wheels, transverse connecting-wires, a motor to turn said disks, a finger to make contact with the transverse wires, and electrical connections, substantially as described, to ground the circuit on the burning out of a transverse wire.

3. The combination of a traveling carrier having a'series of contact-wires and a springfinger adapted to be acted on thereby and connected to the line, with a contact-post connected to the ground and with which the spring-finger makes contact when released, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two sub- 0 scribing witnesses.

\VM. F. (J. M. MOOARTY.

NVitnesses:

HENRY Bossnnrr, HARRY SMITH. 

